CHAPTER 8
“It looks like we can apply for the license today. Thirty bucks. Bargain.” Thom leaned closer to the screen. “Fun fact, if we get the license today we can legally get married tomorrow.”
With hair still damp from his post-sex shower and dressed in nothing but a pair of U.S. NAVY shorts, he looked yummy and right at home on Ginny’s sofa. She wouldn’t mind if he was on it a whole lot more often.
He was going away again soon, he’d already told her that, even though he wouldn’t say exactly when or to where, but they had until Sunday night. That was still days away. Days they didn’t even have to leave this room if they didn’t want to.
Thom looked up from the laptop. “Ginny?”
“Hmm?” Cradling her tea mug in both hands and thinking more about his muscles than his words she forced her attention to what he was saying.
He smiled. “What have you got in that mug? You celebrating our engagement with a drink without me?”
She walked to the sofa. Perched on the edge, she tried to pull the sides of her robe closer to her legs with one hand. “Just tea. What did you say before?”
“I said, if we get moving and can make it to the,” he referred to the screen, “Stamford Government Center on Washington Boulevard before fifteen-thirty today we can get our license.”
Stupid military time. Narrowing her eyes as she concentrated, Ginny was just doing the math and subtracting twelve from fifteen in her head when Thom smirked.
“That’s three-thirty.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” Annoyed he’d caught her figuring it out with her shitty math skills she scowled, until she realized what he was saying. “Wait, today? Why?
“There’s a one day delay between getting the license and getting married. Doesn’t it make sense to have it in our hands so we can do it whenever we want?”
“Yeah. Does it expire though?”
He shook his head. “Not for sixty-five days.”
“Sixty-five days?” she squeaked.
“That’s two months, plus a couple of days.”
She frowned at him. “I know. I can do that math. Just not stupid military time. But that’s so soon. You want to get married within the next two months?”
“Yes. I’d get married tomorrow if you wanted, but definitely after I get back from this next assignment. The sooner, the better. Don’t you want that too?”
“I do. I want to be married to you, more than anything in the world. I’m just not sure I want to get married that fast.”
He stared at her with a blank expression that told Ginny he didn’t grasp the nuance.
“I’m saying, how are we going to put together a wedding in that short of a time.”
“The Justice of the Peace can probably do it on a couple of days notice.” Watching her reaction to his statement, Thom let out a breath. “And you hate that idea.”
“No. Not really.” Visions of her dream wedding with the white dress and pink bridal bouquet and blue hydrangea table centerpieces danced in her head before being pushed aside by the image of a cold, sterile municipal building office.
“Yes, you do.” Thom put the laptop on the coffee table and wrapped his hands around her waist to tug her closer. “We’ll have whatever kind of wedding you want. Whenever you want it. Just be aware, my savings account is pretty much depleted right now so let’s not go too crazy since I have yet to figure out how I’m going to pay for it.”
“I have some savings put aside.” As he scowled at her offer she added, “And I don’t want anything big anyway. Just simple and small. I just never considered the Justice of the Peace. The idea took me by surprise, but you know what? Now that I think about it, it might not be that bad.”
As she warmed to the concept, the steady shake of Thom’s head robbed her of her new found excitement for the plan.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I don’t want you to regret not having the wedding you want.”
“I won’t.” She could still wear a pretty dress and carry a bouquet. Molly could still be her maid of honor. And they could still have a small party afterward to celebrate with close friends and family. Thoughts of family led to thoughts of her mother. Shit. That was the one wrench in this quickie wedding plan. Her shoulders slumped at the thought. “My mother might though.”
He dipped his head in a nod. “Yup. She might.”
“It’s our wedding. Not hers.” She frowned in protest.
“And you’re her only daughter.”
Ginny sighed. Now that he was tossing obstacles in the way of their getting married sooner rather than later, it made her want it even more. She began to form a plan.
“How about we get the license today so we have it and then we can decide later. You said it’s only thirty dollars. So if it expires, we’ll just get another one.” She caught a glimpse at the clock. “Oh my God. If they close at three-thirty I’d better get dressed so we can leave.”
“We have time.”
Already up and across the tiny apartment, she didn’t even slow down in her barefoot sprint to the closet as she called back, “No. There’ll be traffic. Get dressed.”
Thom snorted. “Because I’m the one it takes so long to get ready?”
She leaned around the bedroom screen. “Brat. Be nice to me or I’ll tell my mother you’re the one who talked me into a quickie wedding at the Justice of the Peace.”
Thom cringed. “Please don’t.”
She laughed and went back to deciding what to wear to get her marriage license. Then she realized that was the least of her worries.
What was she going to wear to get married? She’d need a dress. And shoes. And how would she wear her hair? Up or down? Her mind spun with all the decisions.
Married. Holy cow. Never mind the logistics of the actual ceremony to get them married, the whole idea in general was pretty overwhelming.
As she slid off her robe and stood in front of her closet naked, she marveled at the sudden and wonderful changes in her life.
She’d gone from dating and wondering if they’d ever get married, to being engaged.
It wasn’t exactly as she’d imagined it would happen, with him having to leave again so soon and her doing the planning mostly on her own, but that was fine. Becoming Mrs. Thomas Grande would be worth it.
Though maybe she’d be Virginia Starr-Grande instead.
That had a nice ring to it. And it would make a pretty kick ass pen name to write under too when she finally got a book of her own actually published.
Glancing up, she saw Thom leaning against the wall and watching her. There was a glint of desire in his eyes as his gaze took in her nakedness.
“We don’t have time for that,” she warned, knowing exactly what was on his mind.
His lips twitched with a smile. “There’s always time for that.”
“No. It’s almost two,” she warned. “We need to be there before three-thirty.”
“Plenty of time.” As he closed the distance between them and wrapped his hands around her waist she knew she was losing this debate.
The warmth of his rough palms against her bare skin sent a tingle through her. Maybe they did have a little bit of time to spare . . . “Okay, but we can’t take too long.”
Raising a brow, he laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
Lifting her, he tossed her naked onto the bed where she was happy to watch him pull off what little clothing he had on.
He was quick to strip out of the shorts and T-shirt, and then he was crawling on the bed, pushing her legs wider with his hands as he moved between them.
“Are you still going to be so insatiable when we’re married?”
He sniffed out a laugh as he gazed up at her from his spot between her thighs. “What do you think?”
As he dipped his head and she felt the heat of his tongue hit her, eliciting a moan from her throat, she had a feeling she had nothing to worry about in that department.